InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows From the Past ❯ Steamed ( Chapter 3 )

Scroll 3

Steamed

 

The sun began to rise, but while the earth was still shrouded with mist, San snuck out of the cave. Hidden in the shadows and dark, misty fog, she was almost invisible.

She laughed to herself as she quietly slipped through the trees. She pushed back some bushes, only to find herself on the edge of a pool of steaming water. San could feel the warm steam rise and dance around her cold, wet feet. It felt good to skim the water's surface with her toe, nice, soothing, and hot.

She wanted to stop and take a bath in the hot springs, but she also knew that if she did not escape soon, Koga would have her hide for breakfast.

San walked around the water then thought of how easy she had slipped out, it would be more difficult next time, but she could do it again, if she had to…

Koga can follow a false trail with his nose, while I hide my scent in the water. San smiled and walked a little further, she retraced her footprints back to the spring.

 

Koga's eyes opened, half expecting the girl to be waiting to beg for her freedom and for forgiveness, but he did not expect her to be gone. And when his eyes fell on the empty space, he half expected her to walk back in, either by his wolves' force or by her own free will. But that obviously, was not the case, for all of his wolves were still sound asleep and she never came back.

 

San, meanwhile, was stepping out of her clothes and into the warm water. It felt refreshing and her muscles relaxed. She sighed and felt a tingle in chest; she looked at the scar on her shoulder where the Jewel lay just beneath the skin. She traced it with her finger, it was smooth and lumpy, and she focused all her attention upon it and held her hand over it. There was a light that flashed and the Jewel now lay in hand. Wow, that's a neat trick! She thought to herself.

Her hair was now black, and even though her nose was now weaker, she could tell that her scent had changed, no telling how Koga was going to find her now!

 

Koga pushed back some bushes, and sniffed the air, glancing around the clearing. He noticed the steam in the air, but was more concerned about the girl's scent which covered most of the trees and rocks of the area. He also noted that there was a new scent, similar to San's, yet different, it was more human than the other. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, what a lovely scent she had too; it was so sweet smelling… He looked around the space in front of him, he saw what appeared to be a pile of clothes, two pieces red, and three white, all one outfit, and they belonged to a woman.

Only then did he spot a black object, not far from him, resting on a rock and sitting in the water of the springs. He stared, not being able to figure out what it was. He smelt the aura that swelled form the thing, it was small because it was resting, and the scent was that of a familiar air.

Then the black thing stirred, taking no notice of the wolf until it turned around, showing itself to be a woman with long, black hair. Koga turned red as he stared; the shocked, fixed eyes were memorable. They were San's, amber and full.

“S- San,” Koga stammered, turning even redder.

San dunked herself under the water up to her chin and turned around.

“What happened to your hair?!” Koga turned himself.

“Why in the hell are you worried about my hair at a time like this?!” she squeaked in horror.

“I'm sorry, but you should warn people when you're goin to be naked!” Koga blushed more, at the thought of seeing her upper body, oh the embarrassment!

“Get out of here!” she ducked lower under the surface.

“I'm expecting you to be back at the den in less than an hour, or I'm coming to get y-!”

“-Leave me!” she yelled, and Koga, having made his `timed' appointment made clear, ran off in no time at all.

This is when San realized how bad she was reddened. Nothing of the sort had ever happened to her, and she felt sort of… excited about the whole ordeal, and knew nothing was to be as it was.

San wrung the last bit of the water from her damp hair. Her eyes were only half open, and her breathing was light, for she was rather tired. Her head was full of thoughts; she was thinking of a way to escape, but nothing came to mind… Her right sleeve of her under garments fell down over the rim of her shoulder. She released a hand to place it back onto the top of the slope. She was lost in thought… her sleeve fell again, but she ignored it.

Koga watched her from a safe distance, it had only been about forty minutes, but he couldn't help it, he felt as if he needed to watch her, he never did come up with a reason the satisfied him.

That day passed slower than any other. Koga made the girl stay close after her return, and didn't even mention what had happened earlier. San really didn't want to hear it anyways.

Supper time soon arrived and small animals, berries, and fish were brought to the den for the meal. San stared at the raw meat in front of her- she could not bring herself to eat it again. Koga stared at her and took another bite of his fish.

“What's wrong, now?” he asked after he had swallowed.

“Don't you ever cook your food?” she stared at it and she could feel something rise into the back of her throat, she forced herself to swallow it again, the distasteful stuff left a slight burning sensation in its place.

“No,” he took another bite.

“Well, I do, and I can't stomach much more of this,” she said, standing with her share and walked outside.

Koga stood himself and followed the girl. San angrily looked for twigs and dried grasses to make a desperate fire. She soon found enough to cook her little fish and had a small fire going in no time at all, using the flint stones that she carried with her in her little pouch.

Wolves gathered around, wondering what on earth the hybrid was doing. When she was satisfied with blaze, San took out another stick and, using her nail to open its mouth, rammed the stick through the fish. She sat the other end in the ground, close to the little fire and it began cooking.

Koga was the only one who spoke, “Just what the heck are you doing?”

“Cooking,” she smiled, leaning back to relax a bit. “Although I would've liked to season it, I guess it'll have to do plain.” She sighed, “Oh well.”

About ten minutes later, mostly everyone had finished their meals and forgotten about San and her fire, and were nodding off to sleep. Only Koga and few others were still interested.

Koga stared at the girl, “Is it done yet?” he complained, rather bored.

“Not quite,” she said, peeling away some of the burnt scales and flesh. She the pack leader grown:

“How long does it take to cook a stupid fish?!” he moaned, throwing up his arms, and slumping lower to the ground.

San stared, he acts just like a little kid, she thought. “Why can't you act your own age?”

“`Cause I hate to act like I'm juuhachi!” he exclaimed.

San couldn't help but gasp at his age, she thought him much older, like her father, even older. “You're only eighteen?”

“Yeah, so what?” he fell to the ground and closed his eyes.

“I just thought you were older,” she couldn't hide the excitement in her voice.

“Yeah, well I'm not okay, you don't need to get excited about it,” he placed his hands behind his head.

“I'm not,” she lowered her voiced.

“Yeah you were!” Koga couldn't keep the smile off his face; he thought he was such a lady killer.

San shook her head and turned back to her supper, it wasn't fully done, but she was hungry and a little pink it the middle didn't really matter to her at the time. She removed the stick from the fire side and took a bite, it was delicious! So much better than that raw hide!

Koga's nose could smell the meat, it did smell good then he opened his eyes and stared at the girl. She was blushing as she chewed her meal with her eyes closed and smiled. She looked ridiculous, but Koga didn't laugh or make any remark about her expression.

“Are you quite finished?” he asked finally.

“Yeah,” San opened her eyes and looked at him after swallowing. “What?” she saw an expression on his face that puzzled her. Then she realized his face was making fun of hers, “You don't think that I do that every time I eat?!” she panicked.

“You looked like you were getting drunk off of it!” he snorted. “Anyways, can we please go back into the den and go to sleep?”

“Sure, hold on,” the girl then reached down the back of her shirt and pulled out the cloth of the fire rat and dropped it onto the fire, extinguishing it. Koga stared, marking that she may make weird faces while she ate, but she was smart. “Okay.”